New Delhi (PTI): Broadcast tribunal TDSAT on Monday issued notices to distributors of Star and Sony groups of channels following a petition filed by Zee group’s Dish TV, seeking signals for its television signals distribution platform HITS.

The Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal bench headed by Justice Arun Kumar also directed Star Den and MSM Discovery, distributors of Star and Sony channels, respectively, to try to negotiate with Dish TV.

The TDSAT direction came after two Zee group firms–Dish TV and Wire and Wireless India Ltd (WWIL)–approached the tribunal once again after getting a go-ahead from the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting over downlinking of signals for Headend-in-the-Sky (HITS), their new cable distribution platform.

In its letter dated September 9, 2008, addressed to all broadcasters, I&B Ministry had clarified that by giving their signals to Dish TV’s HITS service, they would not violate existing downlinking norms.

Earlier, in August this year, TDSAT had dismissed a petition filed by Dish TV and WWIL on the ground of non-availability of uplinking and downlinking guidelines for HITS platform.

The broadcasters on their part had contended that they could not share signals with Zee’s HITS platform as the present downlinking guidelines permitted them to share their signals with registered Cable operator and DTH and IPTV platforms only.

However, the counsel for Dish TV submitted that for the roll-out of HITS, it had already hired satellite transponders and signals from other broadcasters.